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What We Do

Empower AI uses innovative technologies and their specialized platform to support federal missions and empower agency personnel to solve unique government challenges​.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

Henry Moran - U.S. Army Veteran and Technical Recruiter

Sergeant First Class Moran says the Army was his family for 17 years, and now he feels the same way at Empower AI.

Ted Jennings - U.S. Army Veteran and Program Manager

During a 30-year career in the U.S. Army, Empower AI's Ted Jennings has just about done it all.

Michael Quevedo - Army Staff Sergeant and Facility Security Officer

Michael Quevedo is a protector- it's in his blood. He draws on these skills in his role as a Facility Security and Insider Threat Officer.

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Henry Moran - U.S. Army Veteran and Technical Recruiter

Empower AI’s Henry Moran remembers the day like it was yesterday. He was a senior in high school when his mom asked him to go pick up some lunch at a new restaurant one Saturday afternoon. While looking for the restaurant, he got a little lost in the New Jersey neighborhood and stopped into a nearby Army recruiter’s office for directions.


But the direction he received that day from the recruiter was a lot more than he bargained for.


“I signed up on the spot,” said Moran, who ironically, wound up serving 17 years in the Army, finishing his service as a recruiter.


At the time, Moran, who is now a senior recruiter for Empower AI, already had plans to attend St. John’s University later that fall. But the brief conversation with the Army recruiter that early summer afternoon made him think differently about his future.


“It was a casual conversation, but I trusted him,” Moran said of the recruiter. “We just talked, and he listened. And eventually when I became a recruiter, that’s exactly what I did, and I still do today. Talk and listen.”


But Moran noted that he almost didn’t make it to boot camp at all later that summer. While working on a summer job for the city, he contracted a horrible case of poison ivy on his legs, which required significant medical care, and he even had to walk with a cane.


“I told my recruiter what happened, and he was like, ‘Sorry that happened, but you better figure it out,’” Moran said. “I definitely wasn’t 100 percent when I went to boot camp, but I made it through.”


Indeed, Moran made it through boot camp in the scorching heat of Fort Jackson, S.C., and went on to serve his next 10 years in Hawaii, first at Schofield Barracks Army Base in Oahu, and then at nearby Wheeler Army Airfield. His job that first decade was in Human Resources, but he also deployed three times to Iraq during that period, one year for each tour.


During his time in Iraq, he was thankful he didn’t have to go “outside the wire” very often, but while stationed near Sadam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit in 2006, he’ll never forget the heavy bombings that came the day after Hussein was executed.


“It was intense,” he said. “We got bombed and bombed that day, and the ground shook constantly.”


Recruiting the Next Generation

During his last tour in Iraq, he got a letter from the Army that said he was going back to the states to be trained as an Army recruiter in Alabama, which at first, wasn’t something he wanted to do. He had already worked out his next assignment to return to Hawaii.

“It was obviously a big change, but it worked out great,” he said, adding that he stayed in Dothan, Ala., for four years, where as a recruiter, he was a welcomed member of the community.


“I enjoyed it so much – I really enjoyed those kids,” he said. “I could go to any high school or college in the area, and I could always tell who needed help. Families trusted me with their kids.”


Moran ended his Army career in Sterling, Va., where he had risen to the rank of E7 (Sergeant, First Class) and oversaw the office, which included all the Loudoun County high schools and colleges. He left the Army in 2017 and joined Empower AI a few months later. He still has that sense of mission and tackles it the same way each day.


“The Army was my family for 17 years, and now at Empower AI, I feel the same way,” he said. He added that he stays in contact with almost every recruit he helped enlist.


Today, Moran has more time to focus more on family, which is the most important thing to him. He has two daughters, one of whom is only 8 years old, but despite her young age, she’s already a top 5 golfer in the state of Ohio, where he lives today.


“She’s amazing, and everyone is in awe of her ability,” Moran said proudly, adding that he was caddying for her when she got her first eagle. “She was so stoked. It was a par 4 and she drove the green. She talked about it for weeks.”


Moran also finds time for his own hobby – bowling. He made the Army team twice during his time of service, and today, he boasts an average of 208.


On Veterans Day, he doesn’t have plans to get a free meal or get any special deals as a Veteran. But he definitely will reach out to his lifelong friends from his time of service and share some memories.


“We all deserve more than a free meal, but I don’t do any of that,” he said. “I know in my heart what I did, and how I did it. I will always have those experiences.”

    • Apr 19
    • 3 min read

Diana Blessing - Quality Assurance Specialist

What inspired you to get involved in volunteering?

I have always had trouble with public speaking, but in high school I had an opportunity to be in a play and by slipping into another character I was able to find a voice that I could then carry into other areas of my life. Chesterfield Children’s Theatre (CCT) provides that opportunity to kids at a younger age, those who attend schools where the arts funding has been cut, those that are not cast due to competition in their school or even adults that are looking to improve in this area or take advantage of an opportunity that did not exist for them before.

Are there any specific challenges or obstacles the organization has faced along the way, and how did you and the organization overcome the challenges?

Our biggest challenge as a nonprofit organization is how to raise funds to support our programming while keeping the cost down for our families. CCT does not charge any fees to participate and if something does need to be purchased, such as a piece for a costume, we will help to cover the cost for families that have multiple participants, or a financial hardship. We are always accepting donations, partnering with local restaurants and other businesses to hold events where a portion of the proceeds come back to our group, in addition to the obvious ticket sales and snack bar proceeds from each show.

What are some of the key achievements in your volunteering that you are proud of?

I don’t know if proud is the right word, but the things I enjoy most with this activity are seeing the kids gain confidence, become more comfortable with public speaking, become more outgoing, and form friendships with each other. I like it when people that would not otherwise have an opportunity due to disability light up when they realize they can participate with us and the relief on the parents faces when they realize they do not have to tell their kids ‘no’ because of money. I am proud of the work that the board and I did during the pandemic to find ways to keep the theater going even when we could not put on shows, so that future participants can experience all of the above and more with us.


Can you share any advice for others?

This is not just for theater it really applies to everything: Just get out there and try it. Do not worry about if you are good at first, you will get better with practice.


What motivates you to continue pushing boundaries and striving for excellence in your volunteering activities?

Performing arts, arts in general, are being cut from schools as budget constraints get tighter and tighter. Studies have shown the benefits to mental health, confidence, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills that are gained when kids have access to arts programming. While I have focused here on Chesterfield Children’s Theatre due to my involvement with the board, I do also participate with Concert Ballet of Virginia, and Broken Leg Theater, because I believe those groups are integral to making sure that kids still have those opportunities for growth and development.


Is there anything else you would like to share about the organizations?

We have a performance of Rainbow Fish in late April at Elizabeth Davis Middle School. If you are in the Richmond, VA area, please come by and support us. This is a beginner’s show with about half our cast being ages 3-6. Tickets are available at the door or on showtix4u.com. For information about upcoming auditions or shows you can also follow us on Facebook.

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